Multi-functional layer for stop etch in laser coating removal

ABSTRACT

An aircraft skin coating assembly for an aircraft. The coating assembly includes a primer layer deposited on the aircraft skin, an optical stop-etch layer deposited on the primer layer that is reflective at a predetermined wavelength, a coating stack-up deposited on the optical etch-stop layer that provides performance features for the aircraft, and a sealant layer deposited on the stack-up. When a laser coating removal process employing a laser beam is used to remove the coating stack-up for replacement, the stop-etch layer reflects the laser beam to prevent it from penetrating and possibly damaging the aircraft skin.

BACKGROUND Field

This disclosure relates generally to a high performance coating for an aircraft skin and, more particularly, to a high performance coating for an aircraft skin that includes a reflective stop-etch layer that prevents a laser beam used in a laser coating removal process from damaging the skin.

Discussion of the Related Art

Various military aircraft rely on one or more types of coatings to provide a range of desirable performance features. These high performance coatings typically include a plurality of layers of various materials, where each layer may have a certain purpose or the combination of layers has a certain purpose. However, depending on the type of aircraft, the type of coating, the aircraft flying characteristics, etc., the performance of these coatings will be reduced over time. Therefore, these coatings generally need to be periodically stripped off of the aircraft and a new coating reapplied.

Traditionally, this stripping process was performed by labor intensive manual techniques, such as chemical applications, dry media blasting and hand sanding, which require a long time and are costly. Those techniques have recently been replaced with more cost effective laser coating removal (LCR) processes that employ a laser beam having a frequency that dissolves the coating, which have been shown to be effective. However, LCR requires careful calibration to insure that the laser beam removes all of the high performance coating, but does not impinge and possibly damage the underlying airframe, particularly for absorptive airframe composites. However, this calibration is precise and difficult to obtain.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a B-2 bomber having a high performance coating on its airframe;

FIG. 2 is an illustration of an LCR system shown removing a high performance coating from a substrate in a known manner; and

FIG. 3 is a profile view of a high performance coating including an optical stop-etch layer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The following discussion of the embodiments of the disclosure directed to a high performance coating for an aircraft skin that includes a reflective stop-etch layer that prevents a laser beam used in a laser coating removal process from damaging the skin is merely exemplary in nature, and is in no way intended to limit the disclosure or its applications or uses.

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a B-2 bomber 10 having an outer airframe or skin 12, such as a composite, including a high performance coating 14, such as those discussed above, formed thereon.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of an LCR system 20 that includes a laser 22, such as a 20 kW CO₂ laser, that generates a laser beam 24 having an appropriate wavelength, such as 10.6 μm, that is reflected off of a polygon mirror scanner 26 towards an aircraft coating assembly 28, such that as the scanner 26 rotates the beam 24 scans across the assembly 28 in a row-by-row manner in a known manner. The assembly 28 includes a substrate 32, such as an outer mold line (OML) of an aircraft skin composite. A primer layer 34 is deposited on the substrate 32 by, for example, spraying, and a high performance coating stack-up 36 including a plurality of alternating layers 38 and 40 is deposited on the primer layer 34, where the layers 38 and 40 can be any layer suitable for the purposes discussed herein. A protective top coat or sealant layer 42, such as a suitable polymer, for example, polyurethane, is then deposited on the coating stack-up 36.

As mentioned above, the coating stack-up 36 needs to be periodically replaced to maintain its performance. Therefore, the sealant layer 42 and the stack-up 36 need to be removed before the new stack-up is deposited. However, as also mentioned above, the known LCR processes employed for dissolving and removing the stack-up 36 are not controllable enough to prevent the laser beam 24 from propagating into the primer layer 34 and heating the substrate 32, which may damage the substrate 32, as shown by the depth that the laser beam 24 can obtain in FIG. 2 .

FIG. 3 is a profile view of an aircraft coating assembly 50 similar to the coating assembly 28, where like elements are identified by the same reference number. The assembly 50 includes an optical stop-etch layer 52 deposited on the primer layer 34, where the coating stack-up 36 is then deposited on the stop-etch layer 52. The stop-etch layer 52 is made of a suitable material such that it reflects the laser beam 24 so that the beam 24 does not penetrate the primer layer 34 and heat the substrate 32. In one embodiment, the stop-etch layer 52 is deposited as a low temperature reactive ink that chemically reacts with the primer layer 34 to become a thin highly conductive metal layer to make a near perfect electrical conductor. The ink is formulated to produce a solid silver layer and provides a reflectivity equivalent to a vacuum-deposited material, but with room temperature application. The thickness of the stop-etch layer 52 can be only a few optical skin-depths at the laser wavelength (˜microns), such as 2.5 μm thick, and provides minimal grams per square meter (gsm) increase in the overall coating stack-up 36. Therefore, when the laser beam 24 is used to remove the coating stack-up 36 and the sealant layer 42, the laser beam 24 is reflected off of the stop-etch layer 52, and thus does not damage the primer layer 34 and the substrate 32. FIG. 3 shows a device 54 that can be used to deposit the stop-etch layer 52 using, for example, low temperature processes by, for example, aerosol jet, inkjet, screen printing and spray coating.

The foregoing discussion discloses and describes merely exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. One skilled in the art will readily recognize from such discussion and from the accompanying drawings and claims that various changes, modifications and variations can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined in the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An aircraft skin coating assembly for an aircraft, said coating assembly comprising: a primer layer deposited on the aircraft skin; an optical stop-etch layer deposited on the primer layer, said stop-etch layer being reflective at a predetermined wavelength; a coating stack-up deposited on the optical stop-etch layer, said coating stack-up providing performance features for the aircraft; and a sealant layer deposited on the stack-up.
 2. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the optical stop-etch layer is a reactive metallic ink.
 3. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the optical stop-etch layer is about 2.5 μm thick.
 4. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the predetermined wavelength is a wavelength for a laser beam that is used in a laser coating removal process to remove the coating stack-up.
 5. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the optical stop-etch layer is 90% reflective at the predetermined wavelength.
 6. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the coating stack-up includes a plurality of layers.
 7. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the aircraft is a military aircraft.
 8. The assembly according to claim 1 wherein the optical stop-etch layer is deposited on the primer layer by aerosol jet, inkjet, screen printing or spray coating.
 9. An aircraft skin coating assembly for an aircraft, said coating assembly comprising: a reactive metallic ink stop-etch layer deposited on the aircraft skin; and a coating stack-up deposited on the stop-etch layer, said coating stack-up providing performance features for the aircraft and said stop-etch layer being reflective at a predetermined wavelength for a laser beam that is used in a laser coating removal process to remove the coating stack-up.
 10. The assembly according to claim 9 further comprising a primer layer deposited on the aircraft skin between the skin and the stop-etch layer.
 11. The assembly according to claim 9 further comprising a sealant layer deposited on the stack-up.
 12. The assembly according to claim 9 wherein the stop-etch layer is about 2.5 μm thick.
 13. The assembly according to claim 9 wherein the stop-etch layer is 90% reflective at the predetermined wavelength.
 14. The assembly according to claim 9 wherein the coating stack-up includes a plurality of layers.
 15. The assembly according to claim 9 wherein the aircraft is a military aircraft.
 16. The assembly according to claim 9 wherein the optical stop-etch layer is deposited on the primer layer by aerosol jet, inkjet, screen printing or spray coating.
 17. A method for fabricating a coating assembly on an aircraft skin, said method comprising: depositing a primer layer on the aircraft skin; depositing an optical stop-etch layer on the primer layer, said stop-etch layer being reflective at a predetermined wavelength; depositing a coating stack-up on the optical stop-etch layer, said coating stack-up providing performance features for the aircraft; and depositing a sealant layer on the stack-up.
 18. The method according to claim 17 wherein depositing an optical stop-etch layer includes depositing a reactive metallic ink.
 19. The method according to claim 17 wherein the optical stop-etch layer is deposited to be about 2.5 μm thick.
 20. The method according to claim 17 wherein the predetermined wavelength is a wavelength for a laser beam that is used in a laser coating removal process to remove the coating stack-up. 